Bella

Jose is a cook at his brother's Mexican restaurant. Formerly a popular soccer player, a tragic accident brought his career to a sudden end. Nina is a struggling waitress at the same restaurant. After being late for work several times, she is fired by Manny, Jose's brother. In an attempt to help her, Jose learns that the reason for her being late was her unplanned pregnancy. Rather than go back to work, Jose invites Nina to spend the day with him on the streets of New York, making their way toward the beach. What unfolds explains the secrets of Jose's tragic past and shapes the futures of both Nina and her baby.

Bella has been hailed by many as a great film. It won the coveted Audience Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. I was able to see it at a nearby theater in November. I had been looking forward to the film for months and was quite excited to see it. Walking out of the theater after the show, I was a bit disappointed. However, the more I think about Bella, the more I like it. It's been more than a month since I saw it, and its messages still ring clear in my mind. There are hidden meanings strewn throughout the film that you don't even realize until after you've seen it and are pondering over the film.

The acting was superb for almost the entire movie. There were a few moments where it was, perhaps, a bit flat, but for the most part, it was excellent.

The direction was pretty good, and the cinematography was suprisingly well-done. It was shot almost entirely hand-held, probably mostly due to the film's low budget. Being a fan of the hand-held style (and being one who often uses it), I wasn't really bothered by this, except perhaps at a few points. The style can easily be over-the-top with too much movement, but this film handled the style pretty well.

The music was just okay. It didn't really add much to the story; it was more the acting that made this film emotional. Maybe this was on purpose; it feels like a real-life story the whole time, and perhaps the filmmakers felt that over-dramatic music would take away from the reality of the story.

Speaking of which, the story was great. However, the ending feels unsatisfactory at the time of viewing. I will discuss what I mean by this in my *spoilers* section at the end of this post.

The pro-life message in the film is very powerful. I saw an interview with Eduardo Verastagui, who plays Jose and also helped produce the film, and he stated that they had so far heard of 10 pro-life decisions as a result of the film. That makes this film a huge success, in my mind, even if it was poorly made (which it's not).

As I said earlier, I was a bit disappointed at first. I think this was because of my overly high expectations. After thinking over the film several times, I've found that the more that I think about it, the more I like it. The messages stay with you and don't feel fake. In fact, the whole movie feels sincere. It is quite evident taht a lot of heart went into the making of the film.

As far as theology goes, there were a couple references to God (Jose and his family are Catholic). At one point Jose is seen praying with rosary beads, and I think at least one other prayer is uttered, but it is not an overtly Christian movie, which is a bit disappointing. However, the film supports the fact that there is a God and the fact that one of His followers (Jose) treats others (most of the time) in a Godly manner. Bella does at least portray Christianity and God in a positive light.

Content-wise, there were only a few problems. Some of the dress is a bit immodest. There are no gratuitous or purposefully-revealing clothes worn; just some outfits that are more worldly and, a few times, a bit more low-cut than I would like to see. These outfits are not worn often, and when they are worn, like I said, they are not overtly sexual - just a bit less modest than I would have liked to see. There is not one cuss word. There is one scene that portrays an accident that, while not graphic, is a bit bloody and severely heart-wrenching. Younger viewers would probably be troubled by this scene. Also, the themes (abortion, etc...) are more for mature audiences.

The only other thing that bothered me a little bit was the fact that dating, while not outrightly condoned, did seem to be supported. For instance, it seems to be implied that Jose's younger brother has had several girlfriends, but it is in no way implied that his relationship with them wandered into immorality. He treats his current girlfriend with much respect and seems to be interested in seeking a marriage rather than simply "dating around."

In all, I recomment Bella. It is a sometimes-flawed but powerful and emotional real-life story that is very clean and well worth viewers' support.

God bless!

Geno

Here's the trailer:

*Spoilers*

The film's tagline boasts that Bella is "a love story that goes beyond romance." At first this seems deceiving, because Jose and Nina do not get married in the end (although it is implied that they may eventually). But perhaps that was the point. True love doesn't have to have anything to do with romance. True love is God's love. Jose shows Nina the love of Christ throughout the entire movie. That is the type of love we all must have.

I also want to mention the film's great pro-adoption message. In the end, Nina's baby is adopted by Jose (another act of love on his part). The film greatly respects the sanctity of life.